The invention relates to loudspeakers and, more particularly, to resonant panel-form loudspeakers and panel-form loudspeaker assemblies either alone or when integrated with another article, e.g. a picture frame, display cabinet, visual display screen, mirror and the like incorporating translucent or transparent glass-like panels, or laptop and the like personal computers including personal organisers, hand-held and the like computers having a display screen or hand-held and the like telephone receivers, e.g. mobile telephones having a display screen, and to modules comprising a display screen which can be driven as a loudspeaker for incorporation into an article such as those set out above.
Such resonant panel-form loudspeakers are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,029, and have become known as distributed mode (or DM) loudspeakers (or DML).
It is known to suggest driving the transparent face of a wristwatch to act as a buzzer or sounder i.e. to emit simple sound tones, e.g. to act as an alarm for the wearer of the wristwatch.
It is among the objects of the invention to provide a resonant transparent panel-form member which can be driven as a loudspeaker, e.g. to reproduce speech or music.
It is another object of the invention to enhance the functionality of a resonant panel loudspeaker to enable direct user input.